An Open Letter to the Next Wisconsin Governor

As the Shepherd goes to press, we don’t knowwho voters will select in voting booths across the state.

But we doknow that a new governorwhether it’s Democrat Tom Barrett or Republican ScottWalkerwill begin his first term with a host of competing interests and notmuch money to support them. Not only will the next governor inherit a $2.7billion structural deficit, but he’ll have to jump-start the state’s economyand job creation efforts while providing a much-needed safety net for those whohave been hit hard by the recession.

We askedsome of Milwaukee’scommunity leaders what they want the next governor to do when he becomes thestate’s chief executive in January 2011. Here’s what they told us:

To theGovernor-Elect…

“It’s greatthat you are from Milwaukee County, which is urban,diverse and has unique needs. We are the economic engine of Wisconsin, and it’s time for the state togive our people and their needs the respect they deserve.

“Milwaukee’s poverty rate is 27%, fourth-poorest in thenation, which is especially troubling given the great wealth in bordering Waukesha County, which has a 4% poverty rate. Pleaseseriously consider adopting tax-base sharing, like what has been done inMinnesotawhere the entire metropolitan area, including school districts,cities, counties and townsshare in commercial and industrial growth. This isan option that can revitalize southeastern Wisconsin. That would be true regionalism,and that’s what the Greater Milwaukee Committee should really be using theirbusiness clout to study.

“Milwaukee County is far too dependent on theproperty tax, and that needs to change. As the next governor, you should allow Milwaukee County to diversify its revenue sources.The voters have already endorsed a 1% sales tax to provide property tax reliefby removing transit, parks and paramedics from the levy. The cost of thesequality-of-life services then could be spread to non-residents. Also, stategovernment needs to fully fund services the state mandates, such as courts,mental health and freeway patrols.

“Thejuvenile justice system in Wisconsinmust be reformed, and it is time the Department of Corrections closed one ofthe juvenile correctional facilities. It makes no sense that the statecontinues to send delinquent youth from Milwaukee Countyto an underutilized facility up north (at a great cost to the propertytaxpayer). The state currently charges Milwaukee Countymore than $100,000 a year to house just one delinquent youth at a juvenilecorrectional facility. Instead, the state should throw out the outdated modeland start using smaller-scale, regional secure facilities for juveniles.

“Because youare currently the chief administrator of one of Wisconsin’s largest municipal governments, youalready know how important shared revenue is to local governments. Any cuts inshared revenue result in higher property taxes and/or reduced services.

“I lookforward to working with you. I am hopeful that you will have a betterunderstanding of Milwaukee County's unique needs.Without a vibrant Milwaukee, Wisconsin will fail.”

LeeHolloway

Chair

Milwaukee County Board

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD%uFFFD “I’m looking for an overhaul of thepublic safety system where we really identify the most effective practices tokeep people safe and reduce the costs associated with the justice process.We’re engaged in evidence-based decision-making right here in Milwaukee County andwe’d love to have bipartisan support from Madison where we’re accountable forthe costs associated with public safety in Milwaukee and we get credit if wecan reduce those costs and keep people safe. I think that’s a message that’sgoing to have to be addressed by this next Legislature because of theunsustainable costs of our corrections system right now.

“That’sgoing to be the major issue confronting the next governor as it relates topublic safety. How do we do public safety in the most effective way that allowsus to redirect resources where we know it keeps the community safe and reducesthe recidivism rate? That rate is extraordinarily high, which means that thesystem as it currently functions is nowhere near as effective as it should be.”

JohnChisholm

MilwaukeeCounty District Attorney

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD%uFFFD “One of the biggest things I wouldlike the next governor to work on is fixing the education funding system. Thisyear almost 20% of property taxes raised [by Milwaukee Public Schools] is goingto fund the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. I don’t believe that MPS shouldhave to raise taxes for another school district.

“Anotherissue I hope they address is the revenue limit cap, where you are penalized forcuts and efficiency. And I’d like the next governor to work positively with theschool district in terms of a partnership and recognizing the unique challengesthat Milwaukeehas in terms of some of the economic challenges that our students have cominginto the district.”

MichaelBonds

President

MilwaukeePublic Schools Board of Directors

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD%uFFFD “Wisconsin is one of the few states in thisregion that does not put state moneygeneral purpose fundsinto its workforcedevelopment system. The state has given about half a million dollars to summeryouth programs in Milwaukee,but most of the other funds have been transfers from a federal source. If thenext governor is really serious about doing something about jobs then he has toseriously look at supplementing the money that’s coming in from the federalgovernment.

“And whilesome people don’t think that BadgerCare is a jobs issue, it is so importantthat low-income people have access to health care if we want them to go towork. The idea of cutting BadgerCare is not wise. I think the federalgovernment has made a nice first step with the health care bill that waspassed. But I think it’s going to be incumbent upon states to continue to pushthe envelope and demonstrate by expanding health care to a wider population inmore creative ways that it’s healthy for the people and healthy for oureconomy.”

DonSykes

Presidentand CEO

MilwaukeeArea Workforce Investment Board

%uFFFD%uFFFD To the Governor-Elect…

“We need tohave policies that encourage economic growth in our communities. We need tohave a plan to recruit businesses that provide good, family-supporting jobs toour communities. We’ve done some of that. Bucyrus, with its addition of 500jobs, is really good news for us, and we need to keep up that trend.

“We havesuch an incredibly beautiful, exciting city and our future depends on the nextgovernor doing all he can to highlight Milwaukeethroughout the state and throughout the country. We have an incredible amountof resources herenot only our natural resources, but our people. We havehardworking people, we have people who have good skills, who have manufacturingskills. People are ready to make things here again.”

StephanieBloomingdale

Secretary-Treasurer

Wisconsin AFL-CIO

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD “I would like the next governor to beconstructive in finding solutions for Milwaukee County’sbeleaguered parks and transit systems. On health care, stay on the side ofconsumers. Don’t let people be subject again to losing their coverage when theyhave a pre-existing condition or when they reach a lifetime limit forinsurance. Invest in Wisconsin’snew frontiers of economic growth, like alternative energy, biotech and thewater industry. On tax breaks, make sure that we get jobs for the breaks thatwe’re giving. Don’t just give away the store to a company that ships jobsoverseas or outside of the state. Focus on closing the achievement gap in the Milwaukee schools andprovide money to back up your ideas.

“Wisconsin is going to have to make some decisions onimplementing the federal health care law in a way that’s appropriate for Wisconsin. This is agreat opportunity for us to create a health care system that servesWisconsinites, that provides more options for health care, especially forpeople who work for small businesses or who are self-employed. We need to seizethis opportunity.

“Unfortunately,there are many people who want us to go back to the bad old days where costskeep going up with no end in sight and you can get dropped from coverage whenyou need it most. We just can’t afford thatas a country, as a society and asindividuals.”

StateRep. Jon Richards

(D-Milwaukee)

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD “I would like him to be a governor thatrepresents the interests of working people and does not use racism andanti-immigrant politics. I would ask him not to pit working people against eachother.

“Specifically,we would like to see the driver card legislation [for undocumented immigrants]pass in 2011. It’s a win-win for everybody. There’s no reason not to pass thislegislation. First, in Utahit’s generated $1 million in revenue. Second, it promotes greater safety on ourroads because it ensures that every driver has been tested both with a writtenexam and on a practical level. It ensures that we have as many people insuredas possible, which will drive down premium costs for people who have licensesnow. And it enhances safety in our neighborhoods because it provides lawenforcement with the true identity of an individual and their record.”

ChristineNeumann-Ortiz

FoundingExecutive Director

Vocesde la Frontera

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD%uFFFD “We would really appreciate it if thenext governor supports the Great Lakes compact and continues to adopt the rulesto implement it as well as hold Waukesha’s precedent-setting application to ahigh standard of review. We also think that many important vacant positions atthe DNR need to be filled. We really need the clean-water enforcement. Thevacancies at the DNR are really threatening our water resources and our airresources. We also would like nonpoint pollution runoff programs to be funded.These are programs for farmers to deal with their storm-water management. Wealso think there should be funding for urban storm-water management and floodcontrol.

“We’d liketo see an increase in funding for failing infrastructure. The federal fundsthat we get are not enough. We need to look at more innovative funding sources.Minnesota haspassed a sales tax for water and natural resources. We’re seeing more and morevolatile storms and our pipes aren’t up to snuff. A lot of our pipes are 100years old and they’re not getting better. They’re getting worse. We’re going tosee more damage like we saw in July if we don’t commit to dealing with ourfailing infrastructure.”

CherylNenn

Milwaukee Riverkeeper

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD%uFFFD “I’d like the next governor to workwith congressional representatives and senators to call on the federalgovernment to provide financial aid to the states and communities in order toprotect the infrastructure and services we need to recover fully.

“A lot ofthe major economists have said if the federal government doesn’t maintainsupport to the states that it increases the chance for a double-dip recession.The economy is so fragile right now that if you start cutting public-sectorjobs and spending, then you’re deepening the economic freeze and precipitatinganother serious recession.

“Therereally isn’t any money at the state level. At this point the state is facingsuch a large deficit that tax cuts are sort of suicidal. We desperately needthat revenue to protect our schools and our BadgerCare. We need to keep the taxsystem that we have and look for ways to make it more fair so that everyone ispaying their fair share. Residential property taxpayers pay a lot, but thereare a lot of sectors that aren’t necessarily paying their fair share, likenonprofit hospitals. The business community has a lot of property taxexemptions.”

KarenRoyster

ExecutiveDirector

Institutefor Wisconsin’sFuture

%uFFFDTo the Governor-Elect…

“The mostpressing issue right now with veterans in Wisconsin is the Veterans Trust Fund, whichmostly funds veterans’ nursing homes; they also take care of indigent people aswell. The trust fund has been really damaged because of the economy. Our two‘soldiers’ homes,’ one at King and one at Union Grove, have been affected in away that they had to ask veterans and their family members to leave becausethey couldn’t afford them anymore.

“Anotherissue that I would love the next governor to get involved in is with theWisconsin National Guard, which has been nationalized to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. The multipledeployments of the National Guard are at the root of so many of the suicidesamong our active and retired military. The next governor and other governorswho are allowing our guard to be used this way could, with a unified voice,address the Defense Department and let it know that they’re really upset thatour citizens are being used in this way.”

MarkForeman

BoardChair, Homeless Veterans Initiative

Veteransfor Peace Chapter 102

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD “I would like for the next governor tobe as concernedor more concernedabout public safety than about furthering gunrights to some absurd level. I think there will certainly be some movement onboth concealed carry and open carry. Right now it’s kind of a free-for-all foropen carry. I think that during the dialogue there are going to be some pro-gunadvocates who are going to push for concealed carry.

“We’ll begoing back to the Legislature to try to close that enormous loophole whichallows people to buy a gun without a background check. We certainly hope thenext governor is supportive of something as common sense as that.”

JeriBonavia

ExecutiveDirector

Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE)

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD “This is the worst state fiscal fundingcrisis we’ve had since the Great Depression. It was caused by Wall Streetmalfeasance and it’s imperative that we don’t make the people of Wisconsin pay for the malfeasance of others. They’vealready paid for a bailout. And now we can’t say that we’re going to cut stateservices, which are vital to the economy, or that we are going to lay offthousands of public employees who work for us as a consequence of Wall Streetmalfeasance.

“We have todo everything within our power to maintain the vital services and quality oflife that we have in this state. Infrastructure, education infrastructure,social services, health care infrastructureall are crucial to our economy andto the state having a strong workforce that creates wealth. It’s not just somesort of excess expenditure that’s extraneous to the economy. Quite theopposite.”

RobertKraig

ExecutiveDirector

CitizenAction of Wisconsin

To theGovernor-Elect… %uFFFD “I would like to see aquaponicminiatures in each and every high school of our state to begin cultivatingamong our students a deeper understanding of biology, chemistry, physics, mathand entrepreneurship so as to prepare them for degrees from UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences. That will equipthem with the necessary intellectual and hands-on application skills to startsetting up aquaponic systems in people’s back yards, at places of worship, ineach school in the state, and in commercial-level Sweet Water-type experimentsin repurposed factory buildings. This will lead the way for Wisconsin to become a major export industry,offering the software for aquaponics for rainwater nations, desert nations andbeleaguered cities.”

JamesGodsil

Co-founder

SweetWater Organics

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News and Views

Comments (6)

You left out the letter from the Wisconsin Manufac...

You left out the letter from the Wisconsin Manufacturors and Commerce which probably went something like...
After many years of wrongful policies trying to help the citizens of Wisconsin it is now time to screw the poor, screw the middle class and give enormous tax breaks to the wealthiest among us and the corporations which they own. We have purchased the State Supreme Court and we have made a downpayment of the State government. We want our money back and we will not wait any longer.

Anonymousmore than 8 years ago

Now for all the sour grapes that this rag will spo...

Now for all the sour grapes that this rag will spout. I guess since the majoroty of the readership that believs this dung wither is living off of Mom and Dads money while in college, or is hoping that the guv-ment will give them some sort of hand out. I am not opposed to giving a hand to those who are down by all means. The left thrives on those who are unfortunate and to continue they must make them completely dependent on the government to maintian their voting base. Too bad so sad for the sheppard. Now you can start the bashing instead of constructive dialog, if you even know what that is

Anonymousmore than 8 years ago

"We asked some of Milwaukee’s community leaders......

"We asked some of Milwaukee’s community leaders..."
And what did they say? You forgot to print their responses.

Anonymousmore than 8 years ago

What a joke, every spender in the county puts in n...

What a joke, every spender in the county puts in new requests for more money. Get a printing press.

Anonymousmore than 8 years ago

Interesting that all of the people who wrote lette...

Interesting that all of the people who wrote letters, most of them have "make-work" non profit jobs, mostly looking for a handout. I'd like to see letters from the high net worth folks who are the job creaters and taxpayers in the state. I'd like to see what they would request of the governor.

Anonymousmore than 8 years ago

@djlresearch- the people you are referring to have...

@djlresearch- the people you are referring to have jobs to do, businesses to run, and families to spend time with. The people who wrote these letters have grants to apply for, elected officials to schmooze, handouts to facilitate, and....letters to write to liberal newspapers. Writing a letter to a lefty paper begging for more regulation, higher taxes, and more restrictions on our constitutional rights is literally part of these peoples' jobs...

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